September 20

School's in at the Polyclinic Imaging Center

After the Sydney Games are over, the Athletes Village will become a residential community. The buildings that house the athletes will become homes, most of them already sold. The Polyclinic, where the Olympians are treated for injuries and illnesses, will become a school.
In some ways, it already is.
Walking down the main thoroughfare of the village toward the International Zone at its far end, the passerby might not notice the Polyclinic but for the yellow sign bearing its name. The Polyclinic itself is unassuming, a collection of single-level pods on the edge of a grassy field where the athletes can train and warm up before competition.
It's not difficult to imagine children (not much smaller than some Olympic gymnasts) scampering about between the buildings where the world's elite athletes are now being treated. The youngest students might end up in the pod now designated for Accident and Emergency, others might spend their classroom hours in the former Podiatry Clinic.
And some students will do their learning in what is currently the Imaging Center, as radiologists and technologists from all over Australia are doing now under the direction of Dr. Jock Anderson.
More than 40 radiologists and 60 technologists (known locally as "radiographers") will volunteer their time during the Games, and very few are experienced in all aspects of the state-of-the-art imaging equipment being used in the Polyclinic. In particular, few Australian imaging professionals have much experience with computed radiography. They require training to use the Kodak DirectView 800 CR systems in the Polyclinic, said Gillian Whitney, Kodak regional sales manager for northern Australia. Some of the volunteers received training prior to the Games, but most are trained on-site as they arrive for their tours of duty to ensure that what they learn can be applied immediately, Whitney said.
Kodak applications specialists provide technical expertise with respect to the CR systems, the DryView 8700 laser printer, and the four AutoRad workstations (one in each of the two rooms where radiologists dictate their reports, and one in each of the interview rooms where radiologists can consult with an athlete's personal or team physician).
In addition, applications experts from GE provide training and consultation with regard to the HiSpeed CT/i and the 1.5-tesla Signa Horizon MR scanner. ATL applications experts provide their expertise on the two HDI 5000 devices.
Schoolchildren won't occupy the grounds of the Polyclinic until after the Games are over. But the learning has already begun.

October 2
Experience in wrestling can be a pain

September 29
Springboard injuries target extremities

September 28
Hamstring injuries deplete 200 meter events

September 26
Olympic venue belies mountain biking dangers

September 25
Volleyball injuries start at the knee

September 22
So far so good, says Polyclinic's top radiologist

September 21
Paddlers' injuries keep a low profile

September 20
School's in at the Polyclinic Imaging Center

September 19
Day at the beach can be painful

September 18
Pommel horse, wrist MR go hand in hand

September 15
Aussie welcome is nothing but proud